New Shinkoku: A measure of humility
by Monkeybandit2
Summary: A chance find brings an alien world from the brink of destruction to a universe not their own. Will the fickle forces of fate bring a lone boy salvation and comfort long denied to him by well meaning hands bound by the ignorance of others, or will the powers that be cast him into a path of no return regardless of the intentions that started it?
1. Chapter 1

**This story is crafted for entertainment purposes, as such I pose no claim as to owning Asura's Wrath and Naruto.**

**If I did, chances are that if I'm writing this story then either I'm really bored or a tad touched in the head in regards of demanding attention...**

New Shinkoku: A measure of humility

Chapter 1: The beginning of a tale

Underground Cavern, Konoha

In the darkness, solitude, and safety of the earth's cavity amongst the stone and dirt, he was left to ponder things that most his age would only understand on an instinctual level at the utmost level when the closest ones resembling a family gave no answer to it: The nature of aggression. Was it the only reaction people could give to that they couldn't tolerate? If so, what couldn't they tolerate?

He went about it in every manner that held any sense to him: Blond hair was obviously not an issue, there was an entire clan and even a Hokage who held such differently colored hair than the masses. A similar case went about regarding his eye color as well. His age wasn't much of an issue as far as the eye could see considering others much younger and much older than himself were accepted with open arms. His whisker marks, never fading from his cheeks even with the lack of care towards washing them, were probably a factor if he hadn't encountered those with more extravagant monikers permanently fastened to their skin in some manner. Him being born of no family didn't seem to be a direct issue as far as he knew given there were other like him who received far greater receptions, and truly didn't seem any better than others however in regards of their treatment towards him.

So if whatever the cause for his alienation wasn't physical in nature, then what was it that had the majority of the village hold him at an arm's length in the most mild of cases? What was it his eyes could not see nor his ears hear? What was it that lay beyond his senses and his ability to deduce no matter how limited it was?

A bone weary sigh escaped him as no answer was made evident to him let alone an idea to help narrow his field of investigation. His body, ever fatigued from wandering and his melancholic mood, ached as he rose up from his seat cloaked in the natural shadows of the earth and made his way to the surface for yet another continuation of the world as he knew it much to his lack of understanding it. Years of exploration have long since rendered any need of a light to guide him as a useless gesture to navigating his way through the essential labyrinth beneath the village.

His advanced stuttered to a halt when something alien in itself crept through the darkened corridors and chambers of his sanctuary from the world- muttering. Distorted voices to be exact as the sounds of a conversation crept through the stone pathways and its rooms carved out by time. Driven by the need to prepare for the worst, his ears became strained to make out the fragments that were the most intelligible for him to hear. "You sure he went in here?"

"Yeah, can't imagine why though. You'd think that creature would be smart enough to choose some place where it could escape more easily."

"Heh, the Fourth probably weakened him so much that it affected its ability to think."

A well guided foot took a step back as a precursor to a retreat into the network of caves behind him. He knew full well what they were talking about and as to what they were thinking. Though the venture into his sanctuary was new, the concept of ending his life with whatever weapon that was the most readily available was as new as the fact that sun rose and set each day. It wasn't as commonplace as a cold stare of indifference, that much was for sure, yet it wasn't so uncommon as to not recognize the signs that not only served to warn him in advance but to deepen the mystery of his situation. This was not the first occasion he had overheard someone mention him as some kind of "demon" of no gender given the constant reference of him as an "it."

Regardless, he dove ever deeper into the maze that had until now provided him with a modicum of safety... in truth it still could, but there were variables he had no means of knowing of till it was either too late or he had found a hiding spot to grant him cover; he could make use of the map that had long since been ingrained into his mind, but he knew not of his latest threat's number or what they brought with him. There was also another matter that made the current problem at hand all the more somber, would help arrive? In the past, events like this in principle were put down long before any injury worse than a scratch from a knife had been afflicted...

Of course all of those rescues were in locations where any patrol of the masked shinobi would've found...

Even if they did know where he was at this point, he would have to survive until then with only his own cunning to protect him. Unfortunately he had few options. He knew of only once exit and that particular portal was on the very same path his pursuers were on, so at most he'd have to wait them out before daring to brave that means of escape with only the hope that there were no guards left behind to stop him. Only a handful of the caverns had more than one pathway that he could utilize, but if they came in numbers then it would be a bit of a risk to move about so quickly. As for the caverns themselves, again there was only one exit as far as he knew...

The only other option he had was a complete gamble. There was but one section he hadn't went near as of it... and there was a light of a light blue glow being emitted from the end of it. While he was not especially fond of the darkness, the fact that there was a light was enough of a tell that someone or at least something was down here with him and content with staying in those unexplored section of caves. There could even be a secondary passage to the surface down there for all he knew, or perhaps someone had taken to living here whereas he only used the space to be left alone no matter how depressing it was...

There wasn't much choice. Aimless feet diverted from the beaten path to climb the less familiar stone and in moments he encountered that tunnel with the light staring back at him at its respective end, hesitance well on its way to halting this foolish idea in his head had it not been for the scrapping of sandaled treads as numerous pursuers now lurked in his darkened den to find him. One uneasy step after another propelled him forward to gain distance between him and those who searched for him, hastened ever so greatly as the luminescence illuminated his form and his raggedy wear for all to see should they have been present and not minded such a dim showing.

As he drew closer he noticed a missing telltale sign regarding what had him worried long before this moment: There was no life. He could not hear any signs that would indicate someone was before him nor of any shadows of even a rodent scurrying past the source hidden by the small depression in the ground that seemed to have housed the source of the light, marking a second oddity when the source appeared to be alone; he was stranger to the concepts of electricity and lights in its varying forms, he may not understand the finer points but a light bulb or the like on the ground as opposed to the ceiling or the walls for that matter yet they were all in groups when a general area was concerned.

Taking only a swift glance back to ensure he hadn't been found just yet, the boy focused all his attention to the newfound object laying on the floor. It was a sphere of silver plainly enough, etched in thin grooves that ran as thick as hairlines darkened just enough to be noticed more easily when they were grouped together before diverging to their own paths that ran as either some form of circle or half of one at that. In but an extreme few patches of these circles a nodule of black glass arose, tinted faintly in a hint of blue thanks to the light this strange sphere emitted for reasons unknown. Risking but another glance to ensure his safety, the boy bent over and claimed the sphere in a tentative grasp with only a plot to use it as a distraction making it worth the potential risk.

"It could be this way!" In a startled twist to face the passage he was in moments before, his thumb accidently brushed a hidden switched built into the sphere, subsequently causing the more dull glow to turn ever brighter at a frightening rate that before the boy knew it... he was gone in a muted flash of misted silver light that bore no noise greater than a breath being expelled.

XVX

Unknown

The boy whipped his head about as his shadowed world turned to daylight in what appeared to be the tilted ruins of some kind of building that had this floor consisting of now fallen consoles and machinery that bore some scars from an explosion and later an impact. An entire wall to whatever the room was missing, permitting a skyward view of a clouded sun... and strange blots of darkness blacker than any night he had seen that seemed to eat whatever dared to near them, even the very light from the sun.

Shaking his head, the boy slowly made his way towards the destroyed edges of the structure with his feet finding one foothold after another amongst the debris left behind at a deliberate pace. The sphere, still in his clutches, had lost its glow as whatever power that ran it seemed to have been drained by the act of teleportation.

"Nothing to report, Captain." The boy's breath hitched as he listened on, his advanced halted for only a second before approaching the edge once more ever so cautiously. Peeking over the edge, he spotted several figures roughly a story below his ledge that overlook a craggy plateau with a canyon to the left. Save for one, they were diminutive in stature though taller than the boy himself even in their slightly hunched state. They were identical to one another to the smallest details available: Gray skin was their tone of skin with strange ornamentation consisting of lines made of muted gold that ran as thick as a vein, both in the largest record in a human and the smallest, to decorate their bald heads in a pair of lines reaching from the back of their heads to their crown's where it ended in a tight swirl. A single line decorated each cheek at an angle from the eye to the jaw while a single dot of gold sat upon their chins. Each of their eyes appeared to be mechanical in nature with a hollow blue ring to act as an iris. As for their clothing was as golden as their decorum as it amounted to a collar around a dirt brown suit given its own decoration. Each one had an armament of a golden staff more brilliant than their decorum that consisted of a bladed wheel for a head for one end while the other was a sharpened stake that dug into the ground as it rested.

As for the one that stood out, he was at least twice their size and undoubtedly taller than most adults he had seen. He was a samurai of some sort from the way he carried himself let alone the way he was dressed head to toe in deep blue armor trimmed in silver as opposed to gold. A sheathed sword rested on his hip, roughly as long as his own leg in length. His helmet, fashioned much like a stout samurai's helmet and trimmed in silver, was complete with a demon mask fashioned from the same material as his armor that covered the entire face that permitted only narrowed blue eyes, much like the his company, to be seen through. "Check it again, I do not wish for any surprises before the General arrives!" The boy couldn't help but twitch in surprise upon seeing the demon mask actually moving in conjunction with its wearer's actual body without a wrinkle of jostle to blemish it in any fashion.

"**_OOHWAA!_**" As suddenly as the cry erupted from parts unknown, a monkey-like creature of blackened skin, red veins that only served to accentuate its grotesque features, and sickly yellow eyes dropped in from whatever hiding place it had resides in, and it came with friends by the dozen. The only variation of some of the monkey-creatures that stormed the hapless soldiers was that the larger ones of the pack, now resembling a small horde as reinforcements seemed to have came out of the woodwork from all angles that even included the roof of the child's hiding spot, were more decorated in crimson fur that held the same ghastly coloring of their vein-like features.

_THUMP!_

Twisting his head up, he was face to face with the snarling visage of one of the monkey-creatures bearing a savagely ominous look in its pupil-less eye that only reminded him of what he had, inadvertently in its own way, escaped from moments ago. Immediately he fled from his roost with the monkey-creature hot on its trail, slowed down only from having to jump to the ground below before climbing up the ruined structure with a handful of friends following it. Already a wrecked door was found with a large enough fissure in it to allow the boy access through it in a crawl, but it was just a distraction to the creatures as they bulldozed through it. Crushed wreckage was bypassed only to be muscled through by more primitive pursuers. Overturned furniture long left to rust or rot were tossed aside or leapt over as barricades for relentless followers that only knew the path of destruction, a path they followed with fervent conviction in the chase.

It was only a matter of moments for the chase to come to the light of day by whatever luck that graced the boy in finding a passage leading to the world outside, daunted only with the creatures to come hurtling out to chase him as he made his way to the only point of refuge he could find on such short notice... a crevice in the rock wall before him that the building they had left seemed to lay before.

"**_OHHA!_**" The limits of the prone boy were being more than tested. Even with their abdominal strength the wrecked vestiges of society were still enough to give him a measure of breathing room, however in the open he held no such advantage as they were quickly catching up... but that crevice, like the door, was enough for someone of his size to slide by and obtain whatever shelter it could grant...

"**_AAAHAAH!_**" Spry legs slammed into the ground to the point even his bones warped slightly from the blows that assailed it as the limbs continued their mad dash with the screeching primates continued their hunt with such speed that even the hot breath of the lead "monkey" could be felt in wisps...

By the ever distinctive desire to live, he leapt for the crevice, his arm encircling the strange sphere ever so tighter by instinct...

"**_HAHA HA!"_**

_WHAM!_

"**_SCREE! HA! HAHAAAA!_**"

_Something_ had just announced itself... something the grotesque "monkeys" were not fond off if their already vicious tones made even harsher were an indicator. He wasn't able to tell as he landed inside the crevice with a heavy grunt as he landed roughly into the dirt and struggled to stand despite his spasm afflicted nerves. Whatever that had came had disappeared just as quickly with the mangled bodies of quickly dispatched "monkeys" serving as proof of this new entities' existence... which was further enforced by the sounds of battle as the rest of the horde descended upon this veritable phantom that in essence saved the would-be victim. The boy however didn't dare peek out from his newfound safety, however temporary it was much to his regret given his recent string of experiences.

No time was wasted in searching for another means to escape. Unless he abandoned the sphere, which he clung onto for reasons beyond him, he wasn't able to escape by climbing. At least not in a quick fashion. There wasn't a passage leading further into the crevice that was his current refuge, and he certainly didn't have claws nor any form of a digging tool... leaving the only way out being the same way he came in. With his attention returned to the same entrance that granted him a measure of safety, he bore witness to a strange sight: The monkey-creatures were, for the lack of a better word, evaporating into thin air.

Strange to say the least...

Finally daring to near the chasm's means of entry, the boy peeked his head out to view upon the suspected point of conflict now that the horde seemed to have met the same fate as their disappearing brethren. It didn't take long for the sphere's current holder to find the cause of their demise. Whomever, or rather whatever, it was seemed to be distracted by something to have his back turned on the blond. From what the boy could see, he was of tanned skin and dark brown hair pulled into a bun that sat contently at the back of his head. His clothing, a dark blue shirt and pants mildly resembling a gi bordering on black with small trimmings and ornamentations of quiet metallic silver, was a tad loose but firm in their own right while armlets that went as far as the hands and ankle bracers going to the toes were securely fastened to their respective parts of the body. They were made of the same, if not similar substance that made up the clothing's decoration that did not dare encumber the digits of their respectively guarded part, nor did they cover the underside of their limb's appendage. Two white scarves seemed to be connected to the back of each shoulder that seemed to have gone as far as the back of his knees.

And then he turned...

The most of what the boy could see before retreating into the hollow of the stone was something of a goatee darkening the man's face, not that he truly cared. He had no desire of entering yet another struggle between life or death if he could avoid it. It was reason enough for him to pressed himself against the back of his current sanctuary as the soft crunching of dirt grew steadily louder. He tensed when a set of fingers appeared to firmly grasp the edge of the crevice as a precursor of the adult before coming into view to present not only a confirmation of a goatee but of what appeared to be tattoos on his forehead: A white circle encompassed by a semi-circle which instead of being halved, the bottom half of the larger circle diverted into two lines that connected themselves to his eyebrows. His features were smooth, bearing no blemish nor scar as care went... yet it seemed burdened. His eyes of dark brown, perhaps a tone lighter than his hair, held the same heavy quality his face held. If the boy had to describe it, it would be of a melancholy that no victory can truly relieve, just dampen in affect while it lasted if there was to be any relief to begin with.

Neither said a word as they stared each other down in their own fashion, be it with sense of trepidation or curiosity of that was indeed the case if any. The silence remained strong even as the wind picked up between them. Not even a hitched breath was sparred when the man slowly got onto his knee and offered a hand...

XVX

**Book of Shinkoku: Exploration**

**Main type: Unmanned drone**

**Imperial Eye:** Being an advanced society capable of traveling through space (to some degree), it is only natural for some to be curious as to life and worlds elsewhere than their known surroundings. The reasoning however was conflicted during this phase of curiosity and dreaming of expansion to other worlds.

Before the War of Creation had truly begun so to speak, when conflicts between the nation known as Shinkoku Trastrium and the Gohma (to be defined later) had dominated most aspects of attention and worry, the short lived "Age of Exploration" was of debate between those who were naturally curious in possibly expanding their borders and those who were of a military mind seeking possible recruits or weaponry (be it natural or none) to be gathered to fight off the Gohma incursions that grew bolder by the day as well as more dangerous.

The Imperial Eye was the first, and unintended last, of its kind solely dedicated to exploration, minor research, and sample collecting meant to help find, locate, and catalogue worlds foreign to those of Shinkoku as well as make a rudimentary determination as to whether or not the world it was exploring was habitable for their most basic of citizens as well as capable of supporting some, if not a grand number, of their mantra (to be defined later) based needs.

Since the War of Creation they had been all but forgotten by even the most aged of their, Shinkoku Trastrium, kind namely for the fact that few have ever returned at all.

**A/N: Just one of those ideas that I feared I would've forgotten if I didn't write it out when the idea struck. Though inspired by ****_Demonabyss_****'s story ****_AtumComa The City Hidden in the Nexus_****, what actually motivated me into writing this was actually listening to Yasha's (****_Asura's Wrath_****) theme song known as ****_White Fang_****. I'll admit, a bit of a weird motivator to start a story but meh...**

**At any rate, like a good deal of my stories, this particular story will not be subject to regular updates till I open up a slot from my newfound system of three stories (with any other story irregularly updated on the side in between them) holding my primary attention.**

**Monkeybandit2, making off with your attention! No refunds.**

**Challenge!**** (with a hint of notes): I'm fairly certain that a good many of you have a good idea as to how the story goes if you had read the previously mention story, as such you may also have a good as to who may play a major part in Naruto's life (originally it was Asura, but I felt that was a bit too cliché given some trends). This presented a unique, or at least inevitable in my mind, opportunity to state a challenge: Guardian General/Deity Parent/mentor to Naruto along the lines of the world of Asura (or rather Gaea) coming to the Naruto-verse!**

**I would suggest reading ****_Baron Von Nobody_****'s story ****_Naruto's Wrath_**** to gain an idea as to make a reasonable idea as to how to reasonably attain this goal.**


	2. Chapter 2

**This story is crafted for entertainment purposes, as such I pose no claim as to owning Asura's Wrath and Naruto.**

**If I did, chances are that if I'm writing this story then either I'm really bored or a tad touched in the head in regards of demanding attention...**

New Shinkoku: A measure of humility

Chapter 2: A measure of melancholy

Grand Palace, Shinkoku-Shinto, Shinkoku Trastrium, Gaea

Much had changed in the course of but one year and a half as the fickle forces of fate decreed. Chakravartin, he who existed before the first of the humans ever walked the world, had been proven a liar in proclaiming his end would mean the end of mantra, the end of demigods who depended on it. Or perhaps he had proven himself vengeful. Mantra existed despite his deceased state, yet more than the Gohma now stalked the world of Gaea and its surroundings...

They had no name other than what one would call them in the heat of the moment, these beings of darkness that slowly consumed their world despite felling their numbers with both technology and brutality. Not even vengeful Gaea, having resurrected her grotesque champions that embodied her rage, was capable of quelling the destruction these creatures were so bent on creating with a single-minded purpose. What they were, what their true purpose was, and where they came from was unknown to all of those with sentient thought or a reasonable facsimile of such. All that was know was that anywhere they stay, and anywhere they die, the strange energies of their being seep out and gradually destroy reality itself despite their understanding of how the universe operated by...

It wasn't too much to say that the situation looked bleak when the only planet that they knew of that could support life was under threat by these destroyers of existence...

Till now.

By whatever events that had brought him to it, a boy of blond hair had stumbled across an Imperial Eye and unwittingly activated the emergency teleportation function of the device that inadvertently took him with it. Now salvation from their fate was upon them with this Eye's host of data of a new world where mantra seemed to existed in, its supply was of some limit however. It was enough for a fighting chance for their kind at least, that was the begrudging sentiment shared by many... save one. Augus was not one to care for the ramifications of anything so long as it provided the sport he craved.

Oh how Yasha at times envied his former teacher at times with his more cavalier attitude when compared to everyone else he knew.

In any event, they now had to plan as to how this was to unfold and what may be. They would crossover to this new world, that much was known, yet would their destroyer's hunt them down or would they be content with Gaea? No one could tell. On the other hand once they arrived on this new world, would they be accepted or more than likely pushed back as human nature often done in regards of the unaccepted? If the latter happened then they were to establish a foothold as quickly as possible before anything else... an all but mandatory task to begin with to ensure some measure of survival.

All that remained to debate however was what type of foreign policy would be best fitted to deal with these people whose abilities mirrored some of their aspects to interesting but sometimes underpowered degrees when compared to their own... As it stood there were only two general policies that came to a head after so much talk: Isolationism and, for the lack of a better word, Aggression. To better define these two, the first policy was to simply take control over a previously uninhabited expanse of land, preferably an island or something else that could easily defend as well as house an entire culture within its boundaries, and live up to the aforementioned policy by keep a closed border with few, if ever, visitors if it could be prevented. As for the second policy, in was nothing short of a hostile takeover over a preexisting nation that provided to their basic needs and in turn discourage any invader from waging war with them through an ostentatious show of might. The entire matter was up for an election amongst the revived emperor and the newly re-ordained Eight Guardian Generals who by majority were also resurrected thanks to the combined efforts and benevolence of the Priestess of Shinkoku and other such religious figures who had some, if not limited, knowledge and power to manipulate mantra...

The election however was at a stalemate. Deus had remained silent since his resurrection, disheartened even when it became apparent that his efforts were all for naught by the machinations of a being far more powerful than he who was shortly brought low by a man who days before had to have help from his brother-in-law to defeat the man who led the Seven Deities over twelve-thousand years prior. Then there was Yasha who was of a likewise state who continued to contemplate what to do considering his own history and the beliefs he wielded to help maintain a semblance of rationale in a plan that was to free a world of what was deemed to be a great threat. Last but not least was Asura... he only came to the palace when it came to these meetings or to ensure the other generals were not plotting something once more much like they had centuries ago, otherwise he was found at his home making up for his absence from his family.

As well as looking after their... guest for the lack of a better word. The child of this different world was certainly unusual to say the least...

With a resigned sigh, the renewed general of the melancholic affinity rose up from his table and left the room hosting those trying to advocate their sides to him, hoping to sway his otherwise neutral opinion to their points of view. They tried to follow, but those who weren't demigods orientated in battle had little hope of catching up to him on their own once he made it passed the door and rounded the corner to a passage leading straight outdoors.

XVX

Asura's home

It was perhaps the most selfish desire she ever had outside of saving her father... but no one was complaining, especially not her father after so long. Since this newborn threat arose, the reborn nation of Shinkoku Trastrium scrambled with what was left over from the Seven Deities army and armory from her father's personal one man war with them... and were found wanting. Between the mantra orientated weaponry and her father's fury, only so much can be done with this threat when ordinary weapons were only of use against the Gohma when they turned their sights upon humanity... so she took it upon herself to scavenge the libraries of old that still stood and happened upon the ancient, forbidden practice of resurrection. It's requirements, though taxing on the mind and body even when done right, were fairly simple: The body of the deceased itself or in lieu of one that could not be found, something that held a personal connection to the intended recipient such as a comb, or in Wyzen's case his personal chair still found in his old flagship as mere examples. The practice however was forbidden for a reason as the slightest err proved fatal to those who partook in it...

It was one of the explicitly _few_ times her father was _ever_ angry with her when he found out... but the damage, figuratively speaking, was done. Now they were a family again... almost exactly as they were but twelve-thousand and more years before. The only difference between now and then was that now they had a guest thanks to Yasha's unknowingly fruitful expedition originally meant to lower the current Gohma threat to the battered nation.

While it was the palace that received the drone for inspection, they were host to a boy, an outlander so to speak, who unintentionally came with it in its unexpected return. He was most certainly wasn't ordinary if she was to be honest in her time observing him. Out in the open he would act much like a dog in terms of character: Happy to meet people, always looking for something to do with someone, occasionally even lounge about in the sun during a nap, and anything else that could occupy the attention of a boundless bundle of energy. Then of course there were the times he thought he was just by himself... He reminded her of her Uncle with the way he kept quiet and the solemn look he had upon every aspect of his being. When someone did happened upon him like this, provided that they weren't even aware of this occurrence, he was quick to disguise it with that ear reaching smile of his and write it off as one worry or another only to return to this sullen state when he believed he was alone once more.

Mithra, daughter of Asura, the General of the affinity of Wrath, Durga, the wife and sister to the aspects of Wrath and Melancholy respectively, and Grand Priestess of Shinkoku, couldn't help but frown as she contemplated about their blond guest and the mystery that was his mood. Was what was seen by most people an act on his part? To what purpose did it serve? Or was he genuinely depressed about something like the possibility that he would never return to where he called home? She couldn't tell, nor could she get an straight answer from him, not to mention _a_ answer if he could help it, if past experience was to teach her anything.

In the end though she could only sigh and keep herself a few steps short of calling the entire thing aggravating thanks to the years of her knowing her own father... the only difference between the two being when he refrained himself from speaking, it was because he couldn't put what he wanted to say into words.

XVX

"Good evening, Mithra." The Grand Priestess looked up from her work on her makeshift seat of a low stone wall in such fright that her uncle couldn't help but let loose a small chuckle. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to startle you."

She in turn only smiled back after regaining her composure and shared in on the laugh before long. "It is no problem, uncle. But what brings you here?" she asked in quickly growing curiosity marked with a small frown. "Father and mother are out at the moment if you're searching for them."

"No. I'm not here to see either of them," he replied with a frown, just short of a sigh on his part. "I've come to see Naruto, and meandering about while I'm doing so."

"I see..." A curios brow rose up on Yasha's part when his niece's eyes seemed to glaze over in thought for but a moment before refocusing on him with a rearmed smile that only tried to raise his perplexed brow ever higher. "He's in his room at the moment, on the second floor towards the end of the hall on your left from the stairs."

"Thank you." Giving him a nod that ignored his bow, the Grand Priestess watched her uncle take off to the confines of their home with nothing but his thoughts to accompany him... a feat within itself considering his somewhat strained relationship with the family. Strained on his part at least. Her father hasn't forgotten his part nor has she or her mother for that matter, yet it was only her uncle who wasn't able to bring himself to forgive what had happened. For that reason alone he all but avoided not only her and her father but her mother, his sister, as well... till he felt he could only entrust his new ward with them and only them.

She looked down to what lay on her lap, a simple knitting of an incomplete scarf, and looked once more towards the vanishing figure of her uncle. Her eyes darted upward towards the second tier of their home, an ancient two story structure that the passing of centuries have found difficult to destroy let alone deteriorate to an uninhabitable state of being, more specifically to the room Naruto essentially lived in when he wasn't about... she cast her gaze to the scarf once more and stowed it away into the folds of her dress moments before hopping off the stone wall to discreetly follow her uncle indoors.

XVX

When Yasha arrived the brow upon his head was raised once more after it found its natural rest in the transit to his room. The blond hadn't taken notice of him, his back to him for added effect, as of yet, his attention focused on the sole opening of his room sporting a view of a leafed tree gently swaying in the wind that was playing host to a small flock of chirping birds with such a sullen expression on his face... Out of the courtesy of good grace, the general rapped on the doorway. Naruto made no sign proving he heard it. The doorway was assailed once more only to further prove Naruto was engrossed within whatever musings he held to himself.

Marked with a frown, the Guardian General decided to risk what peace there was by quietly slipping into his room and taking a seat behind the blond. His puzzled gaze lasted on him a bit longer before they turned to the tranquility that was the birds minding their own day.

In the far off wall a small cork size hole became visible when the stone that was in its place receded to give way to an eye shadowed by the natural lighting of the room... An impish grin was restrained to resemble more closely to a bashful one in comparison when its owner tried to quell the uncouth rush of spying on the two like some kind of... spy for the lack of a better word.

"Oh no..." Unfortunately, she supposed upon reminiscing what she knew about 'espionage,' she had a long way to go before becoming mildly successful if her itching nose was to be an indicator.

_"Achoo!"_

"Eh?" Mithra had long since ducked away lest she be spotted by Naruto, let alone her uncle, despite the size of the whole and the shadows that came with it. "Aah!" A slightly mischievous smirk split her lips when it became apparent that Naruto had found her uncle within his presence, and quickly tried to wave it off with a startled laugh... but no semblance of a speech curiously enough...

Then again upon an review of the more recent past however, someone always asked him what he was doing... A pointed frown replaced the smirk but nothing else as she quickly came to terms of the break in routine when she resumed the position and observed the slightly uncomfortable occupants of the room she spied on who returned to watching the birds, content with the silence that ensued from there.

"It's nice day," Yasha finally murmured, breaking the silence that stood between them.

"Yes it is..." Naruto replied, his usually presented luster barely holding on by a weary thread.

Once more the silence began anew between them only to be broken in the same manner as before. "Definitely peaceful."

"Indeed."

"... Eases but never heals the troubled spirit however..." From her vantage point, she could've sworn the child nearly twitched to look at him curiously in a vague attempt to throw off his suspicions much like he had done in the past. If she were to guess and draw from her own opinion as well, her uncle may have already knew already learned Naruto's true nature at this point whereas Mithra was still in debate in what it was.

For a third time there was nothing but silence between everyone, perforated by the chirping birds that no one gave mind to.

"So why did you come?" Naruto suddenly inquired, seemingly aging a decade older than he appeared in his sigh. As for Yasha, he aimed a cool eye to the otherwise near-unperceivable and all but glared at the guilty eye that eventually shied away from the hole in favor of the rock that reclaimed its spot soon afterward. "I had hoped to learn more of where you came from for a decision being held... but I am not averse to giving you solitude if you desire it," he quietly replied.

The fourth interlude of silence didn't last as long as the others, nor was it broken by Yasha this time. "What is it you want to know?"

Yasha in contemplation paused as he thought of what to say. "What are the people like, if I may ask?"

"... They're not afraid to show what they are when they think no one's watching..."

Yasha would've hummed if he had dared, but nothing escaped him as a sign he heard the child before him who sagged ever so slightly out of what respect he could muster towards the willingness to imply what his past was... "Not a single soul then? To prove otherwise?"

The sixth break had been cut even shorter than its most recent predecessor when it occurred, once more done in by the blond who straightened a little thanks to a newfound sense of life ebbing through him. "There was the Old Man... and the family at Ichiraku's... and Iruka-sensei too..." A worn smile flickered across the general's face and remained there even when he cast a stern eye to a certain priestess who thought she could get away with peaking from behind the doorway's corner that sat behind him.

"Tell me more about them," he finally spoke up upon his attention being restored to the child before him.

XVX

"Over twelve thousand years and you haven't changed in the least." If metallic flesh could blush, the reddened skin would be hard pressed to present itself on dusty red skin. As for the one it could have affected, he did his best to keep the embarrassment brought on by his wife's gentle teasings...

Something he missed dearly once the dust had settled and his daughter returned to him.

"Asura?" Even when her tone was more curious than it was alarmed in any comparison, years of battle had taken a toll over his senses. In tensed puzzlement, the red skinned general of glowing eyes, white hair, and wearing only blue pants encased with flames that had its right legging ripped off at the ankle to showcase the footless greave that guarded the entirety of the shin, turned to his wife and in turn looked to the roof of their more recent accommodations. A quiet huff escaped him and soon his guard lowered upon seeing the cause of his wife's curiosity that faded away to a smile... there on the roof was her brother, his brother-in-law, and the one he had left in there care on the roof being mildly entertained by the gentle swaying of trees that the eye could see from their vantage point.

"Do you think we should convince him?"

"Hm?"

Once more Asura's gaze fell upon his softly smiling wife, Durga. Her smile held as the quizzical look she faced turned to one of understanding that didn't truly yield an answer even when his hardened sight went back to the unsuspecting, perhaps uncaring, duo minding their own day. "He does seem to connect more with my brother than with you, my dear husband." Asura kept up his silence, his wife, seemingly un-offended, turned to the pair as well with her faultless smile. "Of course I don't mind it if we take him as one of our own... I'm sure Mithra would enjoy the company of a sibling despite the age difference. Though it wouldn't nearly be as fun if-" Her smile became more deviously mischievous when her teasing finally elicited the reaction she good naturedly desired with a prankster's glee. Though he glared at her as he fought off a bright blush that shown through despite what should've prevented such a thing occurring so easily, she knew he meant nothing by it other than admitting, against his will in an inadvertent way that she had gotten to him.

"Either way it'll be his choice in the end," he finally spoke up in all seriousness that he could muster in spite of the slight upheaval of his attitude. "The most we can do is present him the option, nothing more."

"Indeed that is true," Durga admitted. She paused as she further studied the two a little longer till she was satisfied and departed as such for their dwelling. "I'll have dinner prepared soon," she gently called out in her retreat.

Asura lagged behind as well as he too mimicked his own wife's action of observing the two and raising a brow as he noticed a rare trait on his brother-in-law that seemed to be shared in all of its characteristics by the blond human sitting next to him, a smile. A worn one... but a smile all the same.

XVX

**Book of Shinkoku: Mantra**

**Main Type:**** Ritual**

**Subtype:**** Forbidden**

**Resurrection:** Interestingly enough this near lost art of Mantra use, or Mantra weaving to be technical, wasn't so much as given such as status so much for its gruesome toll to those who failed it as so much as its potential for misuse in the wrong hands. The cons of this practice however had played a significant part in its banishment from even from the most wizened Grand Priest/Priestess' knowledge.

To perform this ritual someone of significant control over mantra, i.e. a Grand Priest/Priestess, who for a lack of a better term leeches mantra out of whatever source is available in a day long ritual that requires a host of fifty or more persons to be present who have exhibited at least a lesser degree of the Grand Priest/Priestess' own ability to manipulate mantra for the sole purpose of fine tuning and swapping out their own ranks lest their beleaguered numbers contribute to the catastrophic failure that often stole the very life out of its performers when the leeching turns from its intended source, by accident in most recorded cases, to the demigods (to be defined later) who are the only ones capable of using mantra for relatively non-combative purposes.

An irony within itself given that mantra is what keeps them alive as well as the intended result of the ritual in question.

While possible to bring forth a deceased demigod without something of a medium linked directly to them, often an object that the deceased had personal value in, it is preferred when the actual corpse is present if one is available at all so not to unwittingly bring back someone who had no interest or, as feared, loyalty to the Empire...

It should be noted that while the penalty of successfully performing this deed is nothing short of capital punishment, only one Grand Priestess, Mithra, has ever been pardoned since the proclamation that deemed the art of resurrection as a forbidden practice.


End file.
